when they leave the Island, the Senate decided on Wednesday.

For the departure tax will now be included in the cost of the traveller's ticket.

The Passenger Tax Amendment (No. 2) Act 1996 met little resistance as Senators from both sides voiced their approval of it.

The bill "came as the result of negotiations with the different carriers serving the Island and input from hotels and travel agents'', said Government Senate Leader Lynda Milligan-Whyte.

She explained that the purpose of the bill was to "ease the burden on the traveller''.

They would no longer be "hassled'' with trying to find and pay the fee when time came for them to leave the Island, she continued.

Payment will be monitored with airlines providing Government with monthly statistics showing the number of passengers using their airline and payment of the tax.

Sen. Milligan-Whyte stressed that the system was no different than what other jurisdictions such as the US and Canada used.

And those hotels and travel agents which had already purchased tax vouchers to issue to travellers would be refunded under the amendment to the bill, she added.

Sen. Terry Lister (PLP) said he supported the Act which was "healthy'' and benefited the people.

But he added that he hoped Government would not pick on this "hidden tax'' as a way to balance their budget.

Sen. Neletha Butterfield (PLP) agreed with Sen. Lister and called the previous departure tax payment scheme "a nuisance to visitors''.

But she also said she hoped Government would be careful not to slip any extra taxes into the cost of airline tickets along with the departure tax.

TAXES TAX